JANUARY 20, 2017 - VOL 19, ISSUE 3

Technique and Safety

Video

Keep those wings flying

Airframe icing disrupts airflow over the wing, reduces lift, and increases drag and angle of attack. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's It's a Drag Pilot Safety Announcement reminds pilots to keep an eye on weather conditions that can adversely affect an airplane's handling characteristics. Watch the video...  

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Winter escape: Can you make it?

If a trip to the sunny Bahamas sounds appealing this winter, test your IFR flight planning proficiency first with the AOPA Air Safety Institute's IFR Quiz: Winter Escape. Contemplating weather at your planned fuel stop, could you make it to the beach? Take the quiz...

AOPA Premier Partner created content

Trapped above the ice

Watch this chilling video of a pilot caught in an emergency—trapped above icy clouds at 13,000 feet in a light, single-engine piston aircraft with no ice protection. The entire event was captured on his GoPro camera. You'll see the series of events that led him there and the bold maneuver he used to escape. Watch this video provided by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops...  

Video

Pinch hitting a King Air

The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Real Pilot Story: Pinch Hitting a King Air examines how a pilot maintained composure in the face of an intimidating situation. Doug White—who had never flown anything larger than a Cessna 172—was suddenly forced to fly the Beechcraft King Air 200 in which he was a passenger when the King Air pilot became incapacitated. Watch the video...  

Advocacy

Article

Pilots organize disaster teams

Here's the scenario: A powerful earthquake has struck Los Angeles, causing widespread devastation. The Pacific Coast Highway is closed to traffic, and I-405 and I-10 are impassable with collapsed overpasses blocking the roadways. Santa Monica Municipal Airport becomes a hub for disaster response relief teams. Read more...  

Advocacy

Super Bowl 51 flight procedures detailed

The FAA has published flight procedures that will be in effect in the Houston area for Super Bowl 51, which will be played Feb. 5 at NRG Stadium in Houston. Read more...  

Advocacy

FAA, industry work to make approach plates easier to understand

Instrument approach plates provide a wealth of information to enable pilots to fly approaches safely in instrument conditions, but sometimes the plates can be confusing. The FAA, general aviation associations, and the charting industry are working to update the plates to make it easier for pilots to know immediately what kind of navigation is required for the entire approach, or any segment. Read more...  

Advocacy

ADS-B requirement clarified for nonelectrical aircraft

A recently issued legal interpretation from the FAA's Office of the Chief Counsel has clarified Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) requirements for operators of aircraft without electrical systems. The FAA has mandated ADS-B Out equipage after Jan. 1, 2020, for flight in airspace where a transponder is required today. Read more...  

Health

Defining CACI

Just when you think the FAA has exhausted all possible acronyms, there's CACI, conditions AMEs can issue. CACIs are 16 conditions identified by the FAA that previously required approval from the Aerospace Medical Certification Division in Oklahoma City, but now can be dealt with by the aviation medical examiner at the time of the flight physical. Read more and see a list of the 16 conditions...

Pilot Protection Services

Managing the paper chase

If you've had an application for a medical certificate deferred to the FAA, you understand the importance of providing good documentation to support your application. AOPA Director of the Pilot Information Center's Medical Certification Section Gary Crump offers tips for dealing with the FAA. Read more...  

Technology

Article

ADS-B satellites in orbit

The first 10 satellites carrying Aireon's space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system are in orbit. Iridium Communications Inc. is replacing its satellite network with next-generation satellites, and Aireon's ADS-B payload is aboard the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. On Jan. 14, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket returned to space with the satellites, marking the company's first successful launch since a September 2016 launch-pad accident destroyed a rocket and its payload. Read more...  

Gear

Article

Mechanic invents better tool tray

Aviation mechanics and aircraft owners have a new tool at their disposal, thanks to Tom Burden, a frustrated U.S. Air Force F-16 weapons mechanic. Burden told AOPA he grew "increasingly tired of my tools sliding off the aircraft when I needed them," so he spent nights and weekends in his basement for the better part of two years designing, manufacturing, and marketing a better tool tray. Read more...  

Travel

Article

Red Bull races back to San Diego

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship schedule for 2017 announced Jan. 19 includes a return to San Diego for the first time in years. The season also will see fresh faces in the paddock, and a brand-new airplane for Matt Hall, one of the perennial title contenders. Read more...  

Financial

AOPA Aviation Finance

Why does an aircraft loan take longer than a car loan?

Often car buyers can be approved for a car loan in 10 to 20 minutes, so why can't a $45,000 airplane loan be that simple and fast? Airplane loans take one or two days to approve, and sometimes longer depending on the financial complexity and number of borrowers. Read more...  

News and Notes

Slideshow

Moonwalker Cernan dies

Apollo 17 commander Eugene A. "Gene" Cernan, the last human to walk on the moon and a passionate pilot who challenged the nation to continue exploring, died Jan. 16 at his home in Houston, surrounded by family. The 82-year-old was an AOPA member, and his death was announced by NASA, launching a wave of tributes and memorials. Read more...  

Slideshow

Cirrus delivery center opens

Cirrus Aircraft threw a party Jan. 12 for the grand opening of its Vision Center jet aircraft delivery facility in Knoxville, Tennessee. Read more...  

Member benefit

AOPA Group AD&D: No exclusions for today's pilots

AOPA Insurance Services has met with insurance companies to educate them about general aviation activities and the needs of AOPA members. The company has worked diligently to make sure the AOPA-sponsored Group Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance Plan does not have any general aviation exclusions. The coverage is available only to AOPA members. Read more...  

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Jetstream Aviation flight instructor

Jetstream Aviation in Boise, Idaho, is looking for a full-time flight instructor. This is an entry-level position that offers the opportunity to get second-in-command time in a King Air B200 and Phenom 100. Read the full job description and apply today!

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a legal services plan attorney, accountant, graphic designer and digital asset manager, aviation event operations senior manager, flying clubs initiative director, travel and destination products director, insurance program administration manager, account executive, donor relations director, aviation technical specialist, aviation financial analyst, production specialist, and technical customer support. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.